The National tribune., 1887-05-19
DINWIDDIE.
Buckeye Carslryman Who Was Wounded at The
Mind.Tn.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: read with
much interest Comrade Muertt's adventures
with the lied horses" and thought ] would
say few words on the subject. My brigade
lcavalry) consisted Of the LIST Me-, I'd n. Y.
Mounted Rifles 9th and 18th Ohio, commanded
by Gen. Smith. We dismounted in the little
field. j was No T. and my brother being
No. 2" handed my rein TO the next man
and went into the fight with the regiment
When we reached the edge Of the woods il was
swarming with rebels. They were firing over
our heads at the mounted men who were bring
ing horses up the lane. We made break for
the fence, and while we were climbing over the
rebels broke and ran through the woods and we
at their heels leading and firing as we.ran. We
drove them considerable distance through the
woods and across little creek.
i discovered, being somewhat in advance of
the line. about 200 rebel cavalry facing our
right flank. We changed front and went
for them without any orders. They had blue
overcoats on TO fool us. i was within few
feet of them before they wheeled TO run. They
ran across a little ravne and up an opposite
bank. had just reloaded my carbne and was
taking aim on one Of them who was riding a
gray horse. Just then Col. Clark came up and
ordered US not TO fire, as these were our
own men. i pulled the trigger all the same,
and the Confederacy was short Of one horse.
was the only man in the regiment who fred.
Those same rebel cavalry went round into
the little field and captured our horses. Sheri-
dams body-guard came down on them and drove
them of and took our horses back.
We were then ordered to join on the right Of
the LIST Me. and 9th Ohio We lay there in the
edge of the woods, this side of the creek, for
some time Pckett's Division. OF Longstreet's
Corps. WAS just across the creek, in the woods,
preparing TO charge our line. We could hear
them chopping and clearing the way, while the
rebel band played " Dixie" Bonny Blue Flag"
aud Annie Laurie" Our band played
=" Yankee Doodle" "Star Spangled Banner"
and =" Hail Columbia" Some Of the Johnnies
yelled Overland asked who we were. Somebody
said: You will find out soon enough, if you
come over here" Some of the boys said ::
Johnny, you had better look out; for Sherman
Is coming up behind you" johnny replied,
Johnston will take care of him."
Col. Clark came along the line aud told us
Capt Lord was getting his battery in position
in the rear OF us. Some Of the boys said, 4" Col
onel, We are all right as long as the Lord is on
our side, and has his battery in position"
About 3 Up. m. we heard some Confederate officer
give the command Forward Guide right"
when our line opened terrible vOley, and
rebel yelled out, :" Wind up them guns, lanks"
In few minutes We heard their lines advane-
ing. They crossed the stream in the face of
terrible fire from our carbines. When they
got out in an open space we discovered they
were two lines Of infantry. They advanced
within ID or 20 steps of US, while we moved
them down like grain before a reaper Their
line wayered, but their officers urged them on.
j heard a rebel officer say We were only a single
line of dismouuted cavalry. One officer was
within 20 feet of me aud ordered me TO sur
render, and those were the last words he uttered,
as he was shot down Immediately.
Our comrades were falling all around us; we
- 4 L. II r
half an hour 1 received the contents of two
rebel muskets about the same time, one in my
thigh and one in my arm, and as was dis
abled thought il was time for me TO get to the
rear. / limped through the woods same dis
lance and ran across two I'd n. \. boys whom
persuaded TO help me off. / found it was
about as unhealthy in the rear as il was in
front, as a rebel battery had range of the road,
and was playing havoc with our wounded.
kept in the woods, out of range of the battery.
Those two New York boys carried me TO the
top Of hill 20 Gen. Sheridan's headquarters,
where they laid me down in the mud close 10
the old General, who was seated on his famous
black horse, smoking a cigar. Two of Gen.
Sheridan's staff officers came over and put me
in an ambulance, aud while they were loading
me, up Gen. Custer came along at the head ofhis
division, galloped up 10 Gen. Sheridan, halted
long enough 10 exchange few words then gal
Hoped back 10 his command aud ordered
charge. As the ambulance moved of over the
hill L could see the brave Custer leading the
charge, his long hair flowing in the air. after
ward learned Custer captured a battery and
$500 prisoners.
j was hauled back TO the Courthouse in the
ambulance. learned the army was going TO
fall back that night, and / thought would
stick 10 the ambulance, and was hauled all
night over corduroy road and arrived at
Hatcher's Run about daylight next morning
where they loaded freight train of wounded
cavalrymen and shipped us TO City Point
There had my wounds dressed some 30 hours
after j was wounded. The rebels shelled our
train from their forts as we passed Petersburg
but luckily did not hit us.-A. McFADDEN, Co
b, 18th Ohio Cav, Cadiz o.